


Reverse Parent Trap

by rayghosts



Series: Phic Phight 2020 [5]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Clone bonding, Daniel Masters - Freeform, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Matchmaking, fluff/humor with the slightest hint of angst, matchbreaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayghosts/pseuds/rayghosts
Summary: Danny and Niel put aside their differences to reach a common goal: get Vlad a girlfriend.For ghostanimal's Phic Phight prompt: "After learning that Vlad and Harriet dated in college, Danny is determined to help them rekindle their romance."
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Danny Phantom Clone(s), Harriet Chin/Vlad Masters, they dont end up together tho, which is a spoiler but i dont want to bait shippers only to disappoint them
Series: Phic Phight 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690195
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	Reverse Parent Trap

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghostanimal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostanimal/gifts).



> so ghostanimal, i sorta used your phic phight prompt as an opportunity to develop my clone oc from my previous fic [the first one in my phic phight 2020 series, titled "You are my brother (boogie woogie)"]. i hope that's ok ^^"

Danny appreciated his parents for wanting to bond with him more. He didn't appreciate as much the fact that their idea of bonding involved teaching him to hunt his alter ego.

He felt Jack Fenton's large hand grip his shoulder as he showed him how to operate a particularly dangerous-looking weapon in the middle of Amity Park Park. "Just one pull on the trigger, and any ghost in vicinity will surely be disintegrated," his dad told him.

"Ah," Danny replied, ignoring the fact that his throat had become very, very dry. "That's useful."

Jack grinned, apparently unaware of his son's discomfort. "Just you wait, Danny boy. Soon, we'll catch that pesky Phantom and take him apart--"

"--molecule by molecule?" Danny guessed.

"Atom by atom!"

Danny told himself not to feel so threatened. His parents didn't know that he was secretly part-ghost. Besides, maybe this machine will fail, like most of their other inventions...he hoped.

He was trying to think up an excuse not to pull the trigger when someone in the corner of his vision caught his attention. His eyes widened, and he muttered, "Vlad."

Jack turned to look at the man Danny mentioned, and his entire face brightened. "V-man!" he called out and jogged to the mayor in question. Vlad barely had time to react before he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.

Jack let him go, leaving Vlad wheezing to regain air to his crushed lungs. "Yes, nice to see you too, Jack," the man said, although his tone suggested otherwise. His eyes rove across to Danny, then the person standing next to him, and his expression softened. "And Maddie," he added fondly.

Danny's mom smiled in reply, but Danny could tell it was strained. He couldn't blame her. Vlad was always a creep around her.

"Vlad," she greeted curtly. "What brings you here?"

"Ooh, wanna watch us test our newest anti-ghost gizmo?" Jack excitedly asked.

Vlad's eyes caught Danny's, and he thought he saw some sympathy in them. Danny frowned in return. "Anti-ghost? I'm afraid not," Vlad said. "I am only here on the request of my son, who has been feeling a little holed up indoors."

"Your son?" Jack said, then he noticed the teenager standing next to Vlad. "Oh!"

The teen was thin and pale. He looked identical to Danny except for the white streaks that ran through his hair. He wore a classy dress shirt, which was completely unnecessary for a simple stroll in the park, but he appeared to enjoy looking expensive. Large sunglasses sat on his face which effectively hid half his features. Even though he couldn't see his eyes, Danny had a feeling he was glaring at Jack.

"This is Daniel," Vlad introduced. "Surely you've heard the news of my adoption of him."

Jack observed the boy with wide eyes, like he was an amazing wonder. "I did hear rumors, but I didn't think they were true!" he admitted. "And he shares the same name as ol' Danny. What a coincidence. They even look the same!"

"Just Niel is fine," the boy said, but his lips quirked upward. He turned his head slightly toward Danny's direction, and Danny had to hold himself back from attacking him. Niel did look like Danny, all right, but it was no coincidence. "Adopted" my butt. Niel was a clone that Vlad made of Danny.

"Daniel, say hello to Jack," Vlad ordered and nudged him forward. Immediately, Niel's smile disappeared, and he made no move to greet Jack despite the Fenton's outstretched hand.

"Aw, he's shy," Jack said with a chuckle and retracted his hand.

Danny wasn't surprised. Like his father, Niel hated Jack Fenton.

"So, what were you guys doing?" Niel asked casually. "Hunting ghosts?"

Maddie stepped forward with a glint in her eyes and asked, "Are you interested in ghost hunting, young man?"

"Nope. I think it's horrible and you should be ashamed."

And there was that other thing. Unlike Vlad, Niel _also_ hated Maddie.

Maddie looked under a second away from delving into an argument with him, but Vlad stepped in and said, "Now, now. That was a very rude thing to say, Daniel. Madeline is a very kind, very lovely lady." He not-so-subtly gazed at Maddie as he said this.

"It's Niel," Niel muttered, but he huffed and crossed his arms.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Teenagers, am I right?"

"To be honest, Vlad, I'm kind of surprised," Maddie said. "I never pegged you as a kids type."

"Oh, Vlad is a wonderful dad," Niel said almost immediately. "He provides me with an excellent education and buys me anything I want, _and_ he cares for me a lot." He was looking at Danny as he said this.

Danny gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "Gee, that does sound great. But you know, Niel, it kind of sounds like you're homeschooled, which must mean you don't spend a lot of time with other kids your age. Why don't we go play together for a while?"

Maddie's eyes lit up. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"But the ghost hunting!" Jack whimpered.

"Don't worry, Danny'll have way more fun with me," Niel said. "I bet he wasn't enjoying your thing, anyway."

He was right, but there was no way in Unworld that Danny was going to admit that to his face. Instead, he grabbed Niel by the wrist and said, "Come on, then, off we go."

As soon as they were out of earshot from the adults, Danny grabbed Niel by his silk collar and demanded, "All right. What are you up to?"

Up close, Danny could see that Niel's shades were Gucci, which did not surprise him in the least. The clone lifted them from his face to reveal features that were exactly identical to Danny's, except for the eyes, which were a closer color to Vlad's. He flashed Danny an innocent smile and said, "Whatever are you talking about? I'm just here for a nice stroll through the park."

Danny scoffed. "Right, and I bet it was just a coincidence that you ended up here at the same time I did. Are you gonna try convincing me to join Vlad again? Did you stalk me to know I was coming here?"

"Well, Dad _does_ have hidden cameras in your house--"

" _Vlad has what now?_ "

"But no, I didn't use them to stalk you. Believe it or not, it really is a coincidence." He smirked and added, "Good thing, though, right? You're welcome for saving you from your parents."

Danny let go of Niel and glared at him. "I didn't need any saving. I had it under control."

"Of course you did," Niel said, sounding utterly unconvinced.

Danny took in a deep breath and said, "So. You really don't have some ulterior motive for coming here?"

Niel looked away and...blushed? "Well...I kind of do," he admitted with a rub of his neck (which Danny tried to ignore was a nervous tick _he_ always did). "But it has nothing to do with you."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then what is it?"

Niel didn't listen to him because something else caught his attention. He actually _shushed_ Danny, then pointed behind him and whispered, "She's here!"

Danny turned around to see who "she" was, and his eyebrows rose to his hairline. He recognized this woman from the reunion ages ago. "Harriet Chin?"

He watched as the reporter made her way to Vlad, interrupting him in the middle of another one of his embarrassing attempts at seducing Maddie. They were too far away for Danny to hear what they were saying, but Harriet was able to divert the billionaire's attention away from Maddie (thank Clockwork) and had engaged him in a conversation.

Danny glanced at Niel, who was watching Vlad and Harriet with anticipation. "You...asked Harriet to have an interview with Vlad?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Niel rolled his eyes, though he couldn't keep a small smirk off his face. "You know, Danny, your mom wasn't the _only_ woman Dad ever fell in love with."

"What are you talking about? Of course she was," Danny retorted, but he hesitated. Vlad and Maddie hadn't met until college. It did seem likely that Vlad at least met some other women before her...but... "Wait, are you talking about _Harriet?_ "

Niel's face split into a grin. "They used to date!"

"No way," Danny said incredulously. "You're lying."

"Am not. I found a photo of them together in the attic. On a _romantic date._ "

Danny picked up his jaw from the floor and said, "Okay, okay, hold up." He reminisced back to the day he and Niel first met, when the clone had promised Danny to, uh, save him from his evil Phantom-hunting parents by getting Vlad to adopt him. The only problem with that plan was Vlad's immovable affection for Maddie. But if another woman entered the picture, then... "Your plan is to get Vlad to fall back in love with Harriet so he can leave my mom alone?"

"Ding ding ding!" Niel confirmed. "Request Harriet to interview Dad, get them to reconnect, Dad forgets about the woman who hunts you down, and--"

"--and I can feel safe joining you as your brother." Danny sighed. "Are you still going on about that? I already told you no. Vlad dating someone else won't change that."

"So...you won't help?"

Danny hesitated and glanced back at Vlad. He was now engaged enough in the interview that Maddie was able to save herself from him and went with Jack to test out their weapon (which, thankfully, didn't seem to work). Imagine that: Maddie standing within a mile of Vlad without him flirting with her. Danny leaned in to Niel and asked hopefully, "Do you really think it will work?"

Niel's grin was wide as he said, "Only one way to find out."

Danny sucked at (American) football. The only ball sport he was good at was dodgeball, but he would never participate in a football match when he knew how embarassing he was at it. In this case, though, his poor athletic skills were finally useful.

Niel carried a football in his hands, probably taken from Vlad's very large collection of football memorabilia. The two boys got close to where Vlad and Harriet were speaking. Harriet must have asked him a question about his wealth, because Danny heard Vlad saying, "...was lucky enough to inherit a generous sum from the Dairy King, but since his unfortunate passing, I was able to go from millionare to billionaire thanks to wise investment choices."

Danny wanted to laugh. Wise investment choices? Vlad was only as rich as he was because he used his ghost powers on business partners and manipulated them into giving him their money. He wondered whether Niel knew that the money he enjoyed spending so much was ill-gotten.

"When you pass away, will all that money go to your newly-acquired son?" Harriet asked.

"Of course. He is my heir now, after all. Although, with how much he spends, you'd think he already owns everything."

Danny told himself not to raise his hopes when the two adults dissolved into laughter. People laughed at each other's jokes all the time just to seem polite. Niel looked excited, though.

Once Danny was a few yards away from the couple, Niel poised to throw the ball and shouted, "Go long!" Danny guessed that must be a football term (and he realized Niel must know more about the sport than he did). Niel threw the ball with a strength that Danny tried not to be jealous of, and Danny made a great show of backing up and "accidentally" bumping against Harriet, who was pushed forward--right into Vlad's chest.

Vlad's face turned red, and Harriet's face turned even redder.

"Oh, uh," Harriet stammered and pulled herself back, "I'm, uh, sorry."

"No need to apologize," Vlad said, doing a good job at sounding calm. "It's not your fault." He glared at Danny and Niel.

Danny gave a sheepish shrug. Meanwhile, Niel crossed the distance between them, stuck his hand out to Harriet, and said, "Hi! I'm Niel."

Harriet shook his hand and asked, "Niel--you mean Daniel? You're Vlad's son?"

"Yep," said Niel, "and by the way, just so you know, my dad is single." He winked.

Harriet spluttered. "That's good to know."

Vlad's face burned (whether from embarrassment or anger, Danny wasn't sure) and he said, "Yes, well, I'm pretty happy that way."

"No you're not," Niel said. He leaned in to Harriet's ear and whispered, "He's _super_ lonely. I once caught him pretending to date our cat."

Harriet covered her mouth and laughed. "Sorry," she said once she saw Vlad's frown. "So, I guess the interview is over?"

"I guess so," Vlad said, then pretended to examine his nails and added, "unless you want to continue it later."

"Later," she agreed and twirled a strand of her hair. "That sounds good."

"Later it is, then," Vlad said with a smile.

Danny couldn't help but gape between the two of them. He didn't think Niel's stupid plan would actually work, but the way they were meeting each other's eyes was...well.

Vlad cleared his throat. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon, then."

"Right," Harriet said and fumbled with her recording device. "See you soon."

Harriet left while Vlad waved her away with a smile. As soon as she was gone, Vlad turned on Niel, and his smile disappeared. "You requested her to interview me, didn't you?"

Niel gave him a cheeky smile. "Come on, you enjoyed it, didn't you?"

Vlad frowned. "I don't know what you think will come from this, but Harriet and I broke up ages ago."

"But she's such a nice woman," Niel said, "and single, too."

Vlad huffed. His glare drifted to Danny, then back to Niel. "Well, you've had your stroll. Time to go home."

Niel suddenly grabbed Danny's wrist and said, "Wait, there's still something we have to do! You should go home before me."

Vlad raised his eyebrow. "What thing?"

"Teen stuff. You don't need to know. It's okay, I know my way home."

Vlad stroked his chin. "I don't know, I don't think it would be safe to leave a young child unattended..."

Niel rolled his eyes. "Fourteen isn't that young."

"Technically," Vlad said, apparently seeing an opportunity for revenge, "you're only a few months old, which makes you a baby."

Niel's ears turned red, and he argued, "I can take care of myself!"

Vlad's lips quirked upward, but he relented, "Fine. I trust Danny to take care of you."

Danny blinked. "Did you just call me Danny? Not Daniel?"

"Don't be silly, Danny. Daniel is my son."

"It's Niel," he heard Niel mutter under his breath, but he smiled at his dad before pulling Danny away.

A few yards away, Danny asked, "Okay, where are we going?"

Niel didn't need to respond, because the answer showed itself shortly. A flower stand stood before them, which they approached. Danny raised an eyebrow at Niel as the other boy let go of his wrist. "Flowers?" he prompted.

"Obviously. They're, like, super romantic, right?" he said and looked over the collection of flowers.

The florist, an old woman who seemed to be around a hundred, eyed the two boys and asked, "Are you two brothers?"

"No," Danny said at the same time Niel said, "Yes."

Danny frowned at Niel, but the clone ignored him. He set his eyes on the roses and picked up what he thought was the prettiest red rose.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Come on, roses are super cliche."

"But they're the flowers of love," Niel protested.

"Yeah, but not the only ones." Danny pointed at various flowers at the stand and named them out, "Tulips, chrysanthemum, and red carnations are all declarations of love. Camellia can mean longing for someone, and adding an iris assures that you're sending a message. A blue iris means you're hopeful." He caught Niel staring at him, and he asked, "What?"

"I didn't know you were such a romantic," Niel said.

Danny blushed and said, "It's not that. I have a friend who likes flowers."

Niel shrugged. He asked the florist to put the flowers that Danny pointed at into a bouquet, then pulled out a very fat wallet. The florist's jaw dropped as Niel grabbed a random wad of hundred dollar bills (did he even count them?) and handed it to her. "Keep the change," he said, then turned and saw that it was Danny's turn to gawk at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how you and my friend who likes flowers should hang out someday," Danny said. He looked down at the bouquet in Niel's hands and asked, "Now what? I doubt Vlad would agree if you asked him to give that to Harriet."

"No need," Niel replied smugly. "It just needs a note from Vlad, and I've gotten good at copying his handwriting."

"You're pretty sneaky, you know that?"

Niel was about to respond--probably say _"Thanks, I got it from my evil dad"_ or something--when a sudden _boom_ shook the park. The boys turned their heads to the source of the explosion and found Jack and Maddie standing over the ruins of their broken invention.

"Blast it!" Jack cursed. "I was sure we got it right this time."

Maddie observed the wreckage more closely, then pulled out a scorched piece. "Oh, I see!" She showed it to Jack and said, "The battery we used was too strong."

"Drat. Well, we'll get it next time." He noticed Danny and Niel staring at them, and he grinned and waved. "Heyo, boys! Had fun?"

Danny cast a nervous glance at Niel. The clone's teeth were gritting, and his fists were clenched around the bouquet so tightly that he was worried the flower stems might break.

Niel forced a smile, turned to Danny, and said, "Well, Danny, it was nice meeting with you. I'll be sure to deliver _our_ dad's message to Harriet."

Danny sighed. "They're not that bad, you know."

"Neither is Vlad," Niel countered. Danny had a lot of arguments against that, but then Niel stuck out his hand for a handshake. Danny realized he didn't want to end the day on a sour note, so he kept quiet and shook Niel's hand, who was still smiling as he said, "See you later."

Danny's parents came just as Niel left. "Is Niel gone? Aww, I didn't get to say goodbye," Jack pouted.

Maddie smiled at him, her white teeth standing out against her soot-covered face. "Did you two enjoy your time together?" she asked.

"I guess so," Danny said, and he realized he meant it.

He received the call around evening. It was from an unknown number, so he declined it at first, but after a few more rings, Danny picked up and asked, "Who is this?"

"Your brother," Niel's voice came back.

"Niel? How the heck did you get my number?"

"That's easy. Dad knows all your phone and social security numbers."

"He _what--_ "

"Anyway, that's not important!" Niel said cheerily. "Remember those flowers?"

"Those romantic ones for your incredulous plan of getting Vlad a girlfriend? What about them?"

Rather than answer that himself, Niel removed the phone from his ear and held it out for Danny to hear. He heard Vlad speaking distantly.

"Oh, of course, those flowers... You want to talk? No, no, my schedule is free. How about tomorrow noon? At that cafe..."

Niel placed the phone back to his ear and said, "Did you hear that?"

Danny could not believe it. "A date," he said. "Vlad is asking her out on a date?"

"See? I knew it would work!"

"Unbelievably so," Danny agreed.

He heard a soft giggle through the phone, and he imagined Niel spinning in place happily. "They're going to fall in love," he said, "and then I'm going to have a mom."

He sounded so cheerful that Danny, ever the pessimist, feared what would happen if Vlad ultimately rejected Harriet. Here's to hoping their date goes well.

"That sounds great," Danny said, trying to sound hopeful. "I'm happy for you."

"For me?"

"Still not gonna join you."

Normally, this is the part where Niel tries to convince him to change his mind, but he sounded in a good mood right then. "That's okay. I can talk to you later."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Tomorrow noon at the cafe, huh?

There were only three cafes known in Amity Park, and only one of them was classy enough for Vlad to visit. On noon the next day, Danny went to that cafe and stood outside, trying to peer in through the glass windows.

There they were. Sitting at a corner table, chatting quietly. Laughing. Vlad's eyes wandered to the window, and he almost saw Danny, but just then he felt a hand tug at the back of his shirt and pull him out of sight.

Danny turned around but saw nobody. That hand was definitely there, though, just invisible. "Niel?" he guessed.

The boy appeared before him, dropping his invisibility. He put a finger to his mouth and winked.

The corners of Danny's mouth tugged upward. "Spying on your dad? What would he say?"

"He'd be proud," Niel replied easily.

Danny sighed and admitted, "That's true."

Niel crept to the window and turned invisible again. He was gone from sight, but his whisper still carried to Danny. "Look at them. They're in love."

"It's just a small date," Danny told him. "It doesn't necessarily mean anything."

"Not yet," Niel replied. He flickered back into visibility, wearing a mischievous grin. "We just need to keep them going--get them to go on more dates, and then they'll realize that they're perfect for each other."

Danny frowned. The way Niel spoke with such confidence, you'd think the two were already engaged. He asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"How does Restaurant de Lux sound?"

"What? No," Danny said, eyebrows high. "No way. That's way too much."

"But it's romantic."

"Of course it is! It's _too_ romantic. You're going too fast."

Niel furrowed his brows, then turned back to the window with a huff. "Well, I guess it's too bad I already made a reservation."

"And, what, you're going to convince Vlad to eat there?"

"Nah, I sent him a fake email from the restaurant telling him he can eat for free. Dad's super cheap, so of course he'll accept. Really, I'd be the one paying, though."

Danny stared at Niel. His mouth was quirked in a way that reminded Danny an awful lot of Vlad. He hunched his shoulders and asked, "Won't Vlad wonder where your money went?"

"A few thousand dollars? Nah, that's too small to notice."

"...You're enviably rich, you know that?"

"I know," Niel said with a smirk. "You can be rich too, if you let Dad adopt you."

"No thanks," Danny quickly responded. "I tried that once, and it resulted in the second most hated episode in the series."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Danny's eyes moved to the window, where he saw that Vlad and Harriet had stood up and moved to the door. Their date was already over? It sure ended quickly.

Niel turned invisible again. Nobody on the street seemed to notice, but Danny decided not to risk showing off his ghost powers and instead hid behind a corner.

Vlad and Harriet mumbled some things to each other then said their goodbyes. Harriet left. Vlad lingered near the entrance, and his eyes landed on a spot not too far from where Danny was hiding. Did he know that Danny and Niel were spying on him? Apparently, he didn't care, because he shrugged and walked down the street, hands linked behind his back.

Niel suddenly appeared next to Danny, which made him jump. Dangit, was that how his friends felt whenever he visualized next to them?

"Why did they separate? Their date was so short," Niel said with a pout.

Danny could no longer ignore the feeling of dread building up inside him. "I think this is a bad idea," he confessed to Niel.

Niel frowned. "I thought you wanted to help."

"I did! I mean, I do want to help get Vlad and Harriet together, and we did help. The interview and the flowers were enough. If they still like each other, they'll go on more dates without our influence."

"And if they don't?"

"Then they don't love each other anymore."

Niel clenched his fists. "But if I don't do anything, then Dad will just go back to slobbering over Maddie!"

"You think I want that to happen? It's not my fault he has the hots for my mom."

"It isn't fair!" Niel cried out. "She's _your_ mom. Why can't I get my own?"

Danny blinked. "Are you...jealous?"

Niel faltered, but he quickly recovered and said, "Of course not. I hate Maddie. Why would I want a mom who hunts down my ghost half?"

"Because then you'd have a parent who loves you."

Those words left Danny's mouth without much thought, and he regretted them as soon as he said them. Niel glared at him, his eyes dark and stormy and _pained_.

"Vlad loves me," Niel said. Danny tried to think of a reply, but then Niel turned away and muttered, "Goodbye, Danny."

He winked out of visibility before Danny could say anything. Danny sighed. He turned his eyes to the sky, and he prayed to whatever love god existed that Niel's plan doesn't crumble down.

When Danny returned home, he went straight to the kitchen. His stomach was empty, and he knew for sure that there was still one bag of potato chips that hadn't been contaminated by any ectoplasm yet. He entered the kitchen and found that he wasn't alone.

Jazz was leaning against the kitchen counter, eating the uncontaminated chips. She saw Danny and smiled. "Hey, little bro."

Danny looked at the tin bag in her hand. "I was gonna eat that."

Jazz placed a hand on her chest and said, "I finally come home for the weekend, and this is how you greet me?"

Danny smiled. He came forward, and the siblings greeted each other with a short hug.

"Mom and Dad didn't bother you too much while I was in college, did they?" Jazz asked once they separated.

Danny took the chips bag from her and ate the remaining crisps. "Oh, it was fine. They tried to teach me how to use a weapon that would have decimated me on the spot if it had worked. You know, the usual." He caught Jazz's horrified expression and groaned. "Don't look at me like that. You remind me of Niel."

"Niel," Jazz repeated. "You mean that clone Vlad made from a couple weeks ago? You met him again?"

"Yep," Danny replied. "We were matchmaking."

"...What?"

Danny's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that he got a text from Niel's number. 'Dad is taking harriet to restrnt de lux. 8pm. told u so.'

"He's really invested in his OTP, isn't he?" Danny muttered.

"Excuse me?"

Danny looked up and saw Jazz's face etched with confusion. She tried reading the text on his phone, but he had already put it back in his pocket. He sighed and leaned on the counter beside her. "Did you know Vlad and Harriet Chin used to date?"

Jazz's eyebrows rose. "No, I didn't know. I can't imagine him loving any woman besides our mom."

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "Me neither."

Danny considered not going to the restaurant that night. But after a ghost fight landed him in the richer part of town, he found himself near the place anyway. It was a little after eight. After catching the ghost (Boxy again--who would have thought?) in his thermos, his curiosity won out, and he approached the restaurant.

Niel was inside, talking to the concierge. Danny de-transformed somewhere out of sight, then walked into the building.

"So you'll make sure this night goes as romantically as possible?" Niel asked the man, who smiled and nodded. Niel grinned. He saw Danny entering and greeted with an energetic wave, "Danny! You came."

The restaurant keeper looked at Danny. He must have noticed the similarity between Danny and Niel, because he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Relatives?"

"Yes," Niel said before Danny could deny. "We're--"

"Cousins," Danny cut in. Niel sent him a look, but he shrugged it off. Whatever bitterness from before must have been forgotten, because Niel was smiling. 

"Well, don't you worry," the man promised Niel with a wink, "we'll make sure nothing bad happens at table four."

Niel sent him a grateful smile. Then he crept into the restaurant and hid behind a luxuriously potted plant.

Danny followed. The spot behind the plant appeared empty, just as Danny expected, but he could still hear Niel's soft breathing. Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes and crouched beside his invisible clone.

Table four was just in view. Vlad honestly didn't look that different from his usual look, considering he always dressed fancily (By the way, didn't he ever get uncomfortable, wearing a three-piece suit literally everywhere?), but Harriet was obviously prettied up for the date. She wore a shimmering red dress and makeup worthy of this high-class restaurant.

The pair spent some time chatting about things Danny didn't care for. Then Harriet sighed, like she was remembering a fond memory, and said, "This reminds me of that place you took me to in college--what was it called again?"

"Marjolaine's," Vlad recalled. Harriet smiled dreamily.

"You spent so much time saving up for that date. I guess you don't need to save up much anymore, do you?"

Vlad didn't answer. A waiter had come over and poured them bubbly champagne. Vlad picked up his glass and swirled the liquid around in a slow motion.

"We were so in love," Harriet continued.

"Youth made loving easier," Vlad said.

Danny heard Niel hold his breath next to him. He resisted the urge to glance at the clone, knowing he wouldn't be able to see his expression while he was invisible.

Harriet gazed at Vlad. "Are you saying you don't miss us?"

Vlad set down his glass, leaving the drink untouched. "I remembered why we broke up," he said. "You thought I was crazy for choosing to study ghosts in my sophomore year."

"And I was wrong," Harriet confessed. "It seemed so silly then--but that was before ghosts became a daily occurence in Amity Park." She chuckled, then sent a nervous glance at Vlad, waiting for his reaction.

Vlad was silent for a moment. He propped an arm on the table and rested his cheek, focusing on Harriet's bracelet. "So, does that mean you're no longer bothered by ghosts?"

"Bothered by them? Of course I am," Harriet answered, like that question was ridiculous. "Who isn't? They're monsters. Humanity would have been toast if it weren't for those Fentons' tech." She snorted and added, "It's ridiculous to think those two were right. They were laughingstocks in college--especially that oaf, Jack."

Vlad raised his eyes to meet her, his brows drawn together. "That oaf was my friend."

Danny had to rub his ear to make sure he was hearing correctly. Did Vlad just stand up for his dad?

Harriet looked like a deer caught in a headlight. "Oh--of course," she stammered, "I didn't mean to insult him. Or you. I just meant that their obsession with ghosts--well, their experiments seemed frivolous."

The dim candlelight on the table cast shadows across Vlad's face. He strangled his silverware and said, "Frivolous? You have no idea what those _frivolous_ experiments cost me."

Harriet suddenly gasped. Danny wondered what caused her reaction, then he saw it: Vlad's eyes had turned as red and bright as the candle's fire.

Harriet pushed her chair back, gaping at Vlad. Her eyes widened. "You--You're--"

Vlad leaned forward and brought a hand in front of her face, then snapped his fingers. Harriet crumpled face down on the table. For a terrifying millisecond, Danny wondered if she was dead, but her back rose and fell as she breathed. Danny had spent so long as a halfa, it was easy to forget that Vlad spent much longer. The elder half-ghost must have used a ghost power Danny didn't know yet to put Harriet to sleep.

Vlad leaned into her ear and whispered, "I am nothing to you."

Niel's breathing had become quick and ragged. Danny worried they would get caught simply from him breathing too loud, but luckily, that didn't happen. Instead, they got caught because Niel basically screamed out, "No!"

Vlad stood and whipped his head to the source of the sound. He frowned and asked, "Danny?"

"Not Danny," Niel said, and he turned visible and jumped out from behind the plant before Danny could stop him.

Vlad's expression turned to surprise. "Daniel."

"It's Niel!" Niel told him for what must have been the hundredth time.

Vlad blinked. His eyes returned to blue. "You arranged this date for us."

"And the flowers," Niel confirmed. "But what happened? Why did you dump her?"

"You heard what she said about ghosts. She'd hate us if she found out."

"So would Maddie! At least Harriet is single."

The other diners were staring at them. Vlad sent them a glare, and they nervously returned to their meals. He turned back to Niel and scowled.

"What is the matter with you, Daniel? This matchmaking scheme of yours, and your irrational hatred for Maddie--"

"I just want a normal family!" Niel cried.

Vlad was silent, then his expression softened. He stepped toward his son. "Oh, Daniel..." He cupped Niel's cheek in his hand, like he was his favorite doll. "I promise, you will be part of a family. I'll get Madeline to change her mind, about both ghosts and her idiot husband. Then the three of us will be the perfect family."

Niel's expression was unreadable. He stared at his father with identical eyes. Then he pursed his lips. He pushed Vlad's hand away and stepped back.

Vlad seemed surprised--apparently, Niel didn't push him away very often. Before he could know how to react, Niel turned and ran.

"Daniel!" Vlad called, but Niel ignored him. The restaurant's bathroom door opened and shut as Niel dove inside.

Vlad sighed. He glanced across the room at the other diners, but they were all occupied with their food, pretending that they hadn't been listening to the entire exchange. His eyes landed on Harriet's sleeping form, and his nose wrinkled with disgust before he tore his eyes away. Huffing, he adjusted his suit and left the restaurant.

After Vlad passed, Danny made his way from his hiding spot to the hallway where the bathroom stood. He tried the doorknob. It was unlocked and turned easily under his grip. He peeked inside and found Niel hugging himself, glaring at a corner of the mirror, not quite looking at his reflection.

"You okay, dude?" he hesitantly asked.

Niel turned his head away so Danny wouldn't look, but the mirror clearly showed his profile. His bottom lip trembled. "You were right," he murmured.

"What?"

Niel took in a deep breath that made his shoulders shake. "You were right," he repeated more loudly. "Vlad will never stop loving Maddie."

Danny awkwardly entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him, leaving just the two of them inside. "Hey--so it turns out he and Harriet weren't such a great couple. That doesn't mean we have to give up on the idea of him getting a different significant other! Maybe we can make him a Tinder account or...something."

Niel shook his head. "You don't get it," he argued, and he turned on Danny. "Maddie's his obsession. His _ghostly_ obsession. He can't let go of her."

Danny blinked. Well, that did make sense, but... "That's not necessarily true," he responded. "I know loads of ghosts that changed obsessions over time. Like Dorothea--she used to be obsessed with getting away from her castle, and now she rules it."

"But..." Niel looked away, and he swallowed back a lump. "But you're his obsession, too, because you're Maddie's son. That...that's why he keeps me around. Because I remind him of you."

Danny didn't know how to feel. Niel was blinking rapidly now, trying--and failing--to hold back tears. _Aw geez._

"You said Vlad loves you," Danny ventured. "Surely you mean more to him than that."

"I don't." Niel was scowling now. "I'm just a clone."

"But--" Danny faltered, trying to find words to comfort him.

"It's okay," Niel interrupted. He looked at Danny, his eyes rimmed red (and in some places green) from tears. "You don't have to comfort me. It's not like we're family."

Danny would have been less surprised if Niel had announced himself ghost king. His jaw fell. Words betrayed him. _Not family?_

While Danny was dumbstruck, Niel shouldered past him and exited the bathroom. There was no goodbye. No "see you later". But the tone was clear: their exchange was over.

After regaining himself, Danny followed him out. He saw the boy leaving through the restaurant's double doors and moving toward Vlad, who stood waiting outside, like he knew Niel would come to him if he waited. He wrapped a hand around Niel's shoulder and guided them home. His eyes held no emotion.

The concierge glanced between the door and Danny. "Family drama?" he guessed.

Danny sat on one of the benches provided for the restaurants waiting list. He watched Niel and Vlad retreat. "Yeah," he sullenly agreed. "Family drama."


End file.
